Thursday, 10 April 2008

A Tale of Two Edinburghs

Ottawa council approved a townhouse development Wednesday for New Edinburgh that critics fear could be the first of many developments that will be too big for the community.

Council voted to allow demolition of the nondescript house at 132 Stanley Ave. and construction of six three-storey townhouses by Larco Corporation on the lot bounded by Stanley, Queen Victoria Street and River Lane.

David Sacks, president of the New Edinburgh Community Alliance, said the development will be a "bad precedent" for a community that is supposed to be protected as a heritage conservation area. The community association objects to the size of the townhouses, their height and resulting loss of privacy for immediate neighbours, the lack of greenspace and the inclusion of two-car garages in the plans.

Mr. Sacks says a piece of property nearby might also be a candidate for such a development.
Paul McConnell, co-chair of the New Edinburgh Community Alliance heritage and development committee, said the development flies in the face of heritage guidelines and the best advice from the city's heritage experts.

"It's open season," said Mr. McConnell. "There's no credibility in the heritage guidelines anymore."Elizabeth Jorgensen, a member of the heritage and development committee, said she was "a little stunned" by council's decision to OK the development.

"It's inappropriate. The scale, the design," she said.

The city's heritage advisory committee argued against the project, saying the mass and density of the development "does not fit the streetscape."

But Barry Padolsky, one of Ottawa's best-known architects, supported the development in a written report, saying the new buildings would add to the architecture of the street and would not harm the heritage value of the neighbourhood.
The council vote was 19-1 for demolition of the existing house and 14-6 in favour of the townhouse project.